Spectacle case



Oct. 2, 1945. A. J. PRATT SPECTAQLE CASE Filed Jan. 4, 1943 .wvsmon fiev-Hueu. PRATT BY Patented Oct. 2, 1945 SPECTACLE CASE Arthur J. Pratt, Belmont, Mass, assignor to American Optical Company,

Southbridge,

Mass, 'a voluntary association of Massachusetts Application January 4, 1943, Serial No. 471,241. (01. 200-) 4 Claims.

spectacle-case which will also serve as a guide for the closure means.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanyying drawing, and it will be apparent that many changes may be made in the details of construction, and arrangement of parts shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims.

I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the exact details shown and described as the preferred form only has been given by way of illustration.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. l is a front elevation of the spectacle case showing a pair of spectacles therein.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the spectacle case shown in Fig. 1 without the spectacles.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, without showing the spectacles.

In the past with spectacle cases of this nature, the closure means used were of the snap fastener type which comprised two members, one attached to the flap and one attached to the front wallv thereof. This meant that besides the additional parts used in the case, extra labor costs were 'added for assembling the different parts, thus tached to the spacer block and the front wall. With this type of construction, pressure was needed to connect the two snap fastener members and this sometimes was enough to break the spacer block, with the result that the spectacle frame would be bent and the lenses might possibly be broken. Different means of reinforcements .have been used to support the spacer block but that also added to the cost of the case.

Tongue and slot means, as shown in the present invention, for means of'closurehave previously been used on different articles but 'in inost instances, difficuly was encountered in threadin the tongue through the slots.

In the present invention, it is believed that new and novel means have been found to overcomeall of the above difficult-ies, as will become apparent from the following description. 1' n Referring more particularly to the drawing wherein like characters of reference designate like parts throughout'the several views, thereceptacle embodying the invention," as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, comprises broadly a spectacle case 5, preferably constructed of aiflexible inaterial such as leather, cloth'or the like. This case comprises a rear wall 6 and a front wall! which are united throughout their :lower edge and side portions by means of stitchings'or, other suitable means, to provide a pocket. for receiving a spectacle. The rear wall 6. is provided witha central extension 8 whichis adapted to be folded over the open top of thecase and is provided with a further extension located centrally .thereof toforma tongue or tab 9.

Thefront wall 1 of the caseisprovidedfwith I two spaced longitudinalslits I0 and H whereby the portion between the slits may be. raised to provide loop means 2| for receivingthe tongue, 9 to provide closure means. for the case.

A wedge shaped spac er member lllof woodor other suitable material is interposed, between the front and rear walls 6 and .l centrally thereof with the thickest end up, and is adaptedto be attached to the rear wall 6 by adhesiveor other suitable means. This is for the urpose of spacing the upper walls from each otherfto permit a spectacle to be placed within the case;

The spacing member I2 is provided with. a recess in its lower front surface having a groove l3 therein. The recessed portion of] the spacing member I2 is adapted to receive the portion I' l of the front wall 1 adjacent the slit ID, with theupper edge of the portion l 4 lying within the groove I13. Thisv 'causes' the adjacent edge surfaces formed by the slit ID to be spaced from each other in a horizontal direction. j 1 1, The adjacent edge surfaces are held in thisf'relation by means of the front surface 20 of the spacer block and through theanchoring function of the groove I3 in which the upper edge of the portion l4 isfittedn l If If desired thegroove 13 may be. omittediin which instance the upper portion [4 .may be secured to the "underlying partofthe spacer block pocket in which a sunglass or spectacle'may be" placed. It will be noted that the bridge it of a spectacle when placed infthercase'will be posi tioned about the spacer block l2.

The upper portions I! of the front wall 1 are cut away at the ends of the case to provide spaces l8'between the edges of the back wall 6 and the edges of the front wall 1. This is to permit the temples I 9 of a pair of spectacles to be folded over the front wall I when said spectacles are placed in the case. r

When a sunglass or spectacle isplaced in the case and the temples l9 are in folded position against the outer surface of the front wall 1, the central extensions of the rearwall 6 is folded .over the frame and temples-and the tongue or tab 9 is threaded through the loop formed by the slits H] and l l to hold the spectacle securely therein.

It is to be noted 9 is threaded into the slit II it will engage the side surface of the spacer member l2 and further pressure downward will cause the tab to slide downwardly along the side'surface 20 of the that when the tongue or tab spacer member l2 and out of the slit Ill, without contacting the lower edge portion; l4 formed by the slit l0.- This does away-with the difficulty usually encounteredwith closure means of this nature, asthe spacer member I2 acts as a guide for the tongue or tab9 when saidtongue is being inserted through the loop 2| formed by the slits l0 and. I]. The spacer member (2 also holds one edge .portion M which is formedby the. slit It} in horizontal spaced relation with the other edge portion 24 formed by the slit") to allow the" tongue or tab 9 to be quickly and easily threaded through the loop 2! which is formed in the front wall'lbytheslits land II.

The spacer member [2 as shown provided withtapered sidewalls 20- and 22 with the thickest portion at the top, this is forthe purpos'eiof holding the walls 6 and 1 in spaced relation with each other at their-upper sides so that a spectacle may be quickly and easily placed within the case.

Another advantage derived from having a spacer member of this shape is that the wider upper portion of the block will tend to cause the opposed edges 23 and 25 of the slit II to pinch' or squeeze the tongue or tab 9 therebetween when the case is closed. This will tend to hold the tab 9 from working out of the loop 21. The lower in. Fig. 3 is front edge of the block I 2 adjacent the recess,

for the portion l 4 will also function cooperatively with the lower edge 24 to' hold the tab 9 from working out of the loop Ziduring'the use of the case.

Although therear wal1p6 has been described a as the only wall which issecured to the spacer block l2, the portion of the front wall 'I' lying above the loop 2| and which overlies the front surface of. the block l2 and the portion M which lies within the lower recess may also be secured 'to said block l2 as by adhesive or other suitable means. This, therefore, would leave only the loop portion 2| unsecured in the vicinity of the spacer block l2.

Although the spacer block I2 has been described as being tapered, it is to be understood that any suitable shape of block may be used depending upon the requirements of the receptacle.

From the foregoing description it .will be seen that simple, efficient and economical means have been provided for accomplishing all the objects and advantages of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. A spectacle case composed of rear and front walls connected together along their bottom edges and part of their end portions to provide a pocket for a pair of spectacles, said rear wall having at its top an elongated portion centrally disposed thereof to form a closure flap, an outwardly extending loop formed centrally on the front wall of the case to be used in conjunction with the said flap for providing closure means, said loop being formed by Vertically spaced slits in said front wall, a spacer member, located between the said'rear and front walls adjacent said loop and attached to the rear wall to space the said walls from each other and a recess in the bottom of saidmember and spaced rearwardly of the front surface 'of said spacer member receiving that edge portion of the front wall which lies immediately below the lower of said spaced slits.

2. A flexible spectacle case comprising rear and front walls connected together at their bottom and edge edges to provide a'pcc'ket for a pair of spectacles, said rear wall having at its top an elongated portion centrally disposed thereof to form awclosure tab, a loop formed centrally of surfaces attached to the rear wall to space the said walls from each other, said, spacer member having a recess therein adjacent the lower edge of the front tapered surface of said spacer memher and disposed in the rear of the plane of said front surface and said front wall, below the lower of said spaced slits, having a portion thereof positioned within the recess. V r a 3. A specacle case comprising rear and front walls connected together at their bottom and side edges to provide a pocket for receiving a pair of spectacles, one of said walls havin spaced slits therein and the other having at its top elongated portion terminating in a reduced tongue-like member adapted to be extended through the spaced slits, a wedge-shaped spacer member located between said front and rear walls with the taper disposed in a downward direction and having a recessed portion located adjacent the lower of said spaced slits and having a portion of the wall below said lower slit positioned therein whereby theportion of the wall lying within said recessed portion will be said wall portions having spaced slits therein forming a loop and the other of said wall portions, on the side thereof opposite the pocket having a portion with a reduced tongue adapted to be extended through said loop and a spacer member between said wall portions having front and rear surfaces tapering downwardly towards each other with the lower portion of said spacer member having a transversely extending recessed portion in which the portion of the wall below the lower of said slits is positioned and retained with the plane of its outer surface disposed rearward 1y of the plane of the adjacent tapered side sur-- face of said spacer member.

ARTHUR J. PRAT'I. 

